The Southern Zanzibar–Inhambane coastal forest mosaic, also known as the Southern Swahili coastal forests and woodlands, is a tropical moist broadleaf forest

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) is an ecological and geographic area that exists on multiple different levels, defined by type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and c ...

of eastern Africa. It is a southern variation of Northern Zanzibar-Inhambane coastal forest mosaic. The ecoregion supports habitats of

forest A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense ecological community, community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, ...

savanna A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...

and

swamp A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...

s. The southern portion of the ecoregion is not as well studied due to the 1977-1992

civil war A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

Mozambique Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country located in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini and South Afr ...

Geography

The

extends along the coast of

Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...

and

, from Tanzania's Lukuledi River south almost the whole way to the mouth of the

Limpopo River The Limpopo River () rises in South Africa and flows generally eastward through Mozambique to the Indian Ocean. The term Limpopo is derived from Rivombo (Livombo/Lebombo), a group of Tsonga settlers led by Hosi Rivombo who settled in the mou ...

. It is mostly coastal, generally within 50 km of the Indian Ocean. It encompasses coastal lowlands, rolling hills, and isolated plateaus and inselbergs, including the

Rondo The rondo or rondeau is a musical form that contains a principal theme (music), theme (sometimes called the "refrain") which alternates with one or more contrasting themes (generally called "episodes", but also referred to as "digressions" or "c ...

and Makonde plateaus in southern Tanzania, the Mueda Plateau in northern Mozambique. It includes some isolated mountainous enclaves further inland, including Mount Chiperone, Mount Mabu, Mount Morrumbala, Mount Namuli, and Mount Tumbine in northern Mozambique, and the southeastern slopes of the

Eastern Highlands :''"Eastern Highlands" also refers to Eastern Highlands Province in Papua New Guinea, and part of the Great Dividing Range, Australia.'' The Eastern Highlands, also known as the Manica Highlands, is a mountain range on the border of Zimbabwe ...

, including Moribane forest. The mountains intercept humid southwesterly winds from the Indian Ocean, which form clouds and rain and create a cooler, wetter climate than the surrounding lowlands. These mountains are home to lowland evergreen forests with a similar flora to the coastal lowland forests, and higher-elevation montane forests, woodlands, grasslands, and heathlands which are home to many

Afromontane The Afromontane regions are subregions of the Afrotropical realm, one of the Earth's eight biogeographic realms, covering the plant and animal species found in the mountains of Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula. The Afromontane regions o ...

species. The WWF scheme follows Frank White's 1983 "Vegetation Map of Africa" by including these inland mountains in the coastal forest mosaic ecoregion. Other researchers, including Jonathan Timberlake of Kew Gardens, maintain that the flora and fauna of Northern Mozambique's interior inselbergs, especially at higher elevations, have greater affinity with the

Eastern Arc forests. Bayliss ''et al.'' concluded that the northern Mozambican inselbergs, together with the Mulanje Massif of southern Malawi, constitute a separate South East Africa Montane Archipelago ecoregion.Bayliss, J., Bittencourt-Silva, G.B., Branch, W.R. et al. A biogeographical appraisal of the threatened South East Africa Montane Archipelago ecoregion. Sci Rep 14, 5971 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-54671-z The ecoregion is bounded on the east by the

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...

. To the north, it abuts the Northern Zanzibar-Inhambane coastal forest mosaic. It transitions to drier open woodlands to the west – the

Eastern miombo woodlands The Eastern miombo woodlands (AT0706) are an ecoregion of grassland and woodland in northern Mozambique, southern Tanzania, and southeastern Malawi. Setting These species-rich savanna ecosystems cover wide areas of gentle hills and low valleys co ...

at the northern end, the

Zambezian and mopane woodlands The Zambezian and mopane woodlands is a tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands ecoregion of southeastern Africa. The ecoregion is characterized by the mopane tree ''( Colophospermum mopane)'', and extends across portion ...

in the central portion, and the

Southern miombo woodlands The Southern miombo woodlands is a tropical grasslands and woodlands ecoregion extending across portions of Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It is one of four miombo woodlands ecoregions that span the African continent south of the Co ...

at the southern end. To the south, it borders the

Maputaland coastal forest mosaic The Maputaland coastal forest mosaic is a subtropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion on the Indian Ocean coast of Southern Africa. It covers an area of in southern Mozambique, Eswatini, and the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa. Mozambiq ...

. It also includes some small offshore islands in Mozambique, including the Quirimbas Islands and Bazarruto Archipelago.

Climate

The climate is tropical in the northern portion, becoming sub-tropical at the southern end. In the area around Lindi in Tanzania there is one long dry season and one wet season. Rainfall is 800–1000 mm per year, and is higher on some of the plateaus and mountains. The climate is similar in the Mozambican portion, although rainfall is lower (800 mm) in northern Mozambique, which is in the

rain shadow A rain shadow is an area of significantly reduced rainfall behind a mountainous region, on the side facing away from prevailing winds, known as its leeward side. Evaporated moisture from body of water, bodies of water (such as oceans and larg ...

Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...

. Mean maximum temperatures are 30-27 °C in the north and 24 °C in the south, and mean minimum temperature is 18-15 °C throughout the ecoregion.

Flora

The vegetation of the ecoregion is a mosaic of tropical moist forest, tropical dry forest, thicket,

miombo woodland Miombo woodland is a tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome (in the World Wide Fund for Nature scheme) located in central and southern tropical Africa. It includes three woodland savanna ecoregions (listed below) charac ...

, grassland, and wetland. Dry forests and thickets are found in the northern portion of the ecoregion. This region, comprising southeastern Tanzania and northeastern Mozambique, is in the

, and rainfall is lower (less than 1000 mm annually) than in the coastal forests to the north and south. The dry forests have a closed canopy, with a large proportion of deciduous species that lose their leaves in the long and hot dry season. Dense thickets form where dry forests have been disturbed by human activity. Dry forests are typically found on soils derived from iron-rich sandstone and conglomerates of the Mikindani Formation. Typical dry forest tree species in Mozambique's

Cabo Delgado Province Cabo Delgado is the northernmost province of Mozambique. It has an area of and a population of 2,320,261 (2017). It borders the Mtwara Region in the neighbouring country of Tanzania, and the provinces of Nampula and Niassa. The Province is ri ...

include '' Manilkara sansibarensis'', '' Warneckea sansibarica'', '' Baphia macrocalyx'', and '' Pteleopsis myrtifolia''. 738 plant species were identified from the dry forests of Cabo Delgado. The plant families with the most species include

Rubiaceae Rubiaceae () is a family (biology), family of flowering plants, commonly known as the coffee, madder, or bedstraw family. It consists of terrestrial trees, shrubs, lianas, or herbs that are recognizable by simple, opposite leaves with Petiole ( ...

with 84 species, Leguminaceae subfamilies Papilionoideae (43 species),

Mimosoideae The Mimosoideae are a traditional subfamily of trees, herbs, lianas, and shrubs in the pea family (Fabaceae) that mostly grow in tropical and subtropical climates. They are typically characterized by having radially symmetric flowers, with petal ...

(29 species), and

Caesalpinioideae Caesalpinioideae is a botanical name at the rank of subfamily, placed in the large family Fabaceae or Leguminosae. Its name is formed from the generic name '' Caesalpinia''. It is known also as the peacock flower subfamily. The Caesalpinioideae a ...

(24 species), and

Euphorbiaceae Euphorbiaceae (), the spurge family, is a large family of flowering plants. In English, they are also commonly called euphorbias, which is also the name of Euphorbia, the type genus of the family. Most spurges, such as ''Euphorbia paralias'', ar ...

(41 species),

Apocynaceae Apocynaceae (, from '' Apocynum'', Greek for "dog-away") is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, stem succulents, and vines, commonly known as the dogbane family, because some taxa were used as dog poison. Notable mem ...

(28 species), and

Lamiaceae The Lamiaceae ( ) or Labiatae are a family (biology), family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint, deadnettle, or sage family. Many of the plants are aromatic in all parts and include widely used culinary herbs like basil (herb), ba ...

(28 species). Human activity has fragmented the dry forests into small patches, and it is estimated that 80% have been lost in the last 100 to 150 years. The Rondo, Chitoa, and Makonde plateaus and adjacent coastal lowlands of southeastern Tanzania, at the northern end of the ecoregion, are home to at least 76 endemic species of plants, along with several endemic species and subspecies of animals. The region is known as the Lindi sub-centre of endemism.Burgess, N.D., Clarke, G.P., Rodgers, W.A. (1998) "Coastal forests of eastern Africa: status, endemism patterns and their potential causes". ''Biological Journal of the Linnean Society'' (1998), 64: 337-367. There are fewer known endemics in the Mozambican portion of the ecoregion. '' Cola clavata'' is an

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

tree endemic to the coastal forests of Sofala and Zambezia provinces in central Mozambique.

Fauna

Large mammals include the

African bush elephant The African bush elephant (''Loxodonta africana''), also known as the African savanna elephant, is a species of elephant native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of three extant elephant species and, along with the African forest elephant, one ...

(''Loxodonta africana''),

African buffalo The African buffalo (''Syncerus caffer)'' is a large sub-Saharan African bovine. The adult African buffalo's horns are its characteristic feature: they have fused bases, forming a continuous bone shield across the top of the head, referred to ...

(''Syncerus caffer''),

sable antelope The sable antelope (''Hippotragus niger'') is a large antelope which inhabits wooded savanna in East and Southern Africa, from the south of Kenya to South Africa, with a separated population in Angola. Taxonomy The sable antelope shares the genu ...

(''Hippotragus niger''), roan antelope (''H. equinus''), and Lichtenstein's hartebeest (''Alcelaphus buselaphus lichtensteinii''), which also inhabit the adjacent Eastern miombo woodlands. Vincent's bush squirrel (''Paraxerus vincenti'') is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to Mount Namuli in Mozambique. The northernmost portion of the ecoregion around Lindi in Southeastern Tanzania, including coastal forests and the Rondo, Chitoa, and Makonde plateaus, is home to several endemic and limited range species. These include the southern population of the primate Rondo dwarf galago (''Paragalago rondoensis''), the endemic birds Reichenow's batis (''Batis reichenowi'') and an endemic subspecies of green barbet (''Stactolaema olivacea hylophona''), the reptiles '' Melanoceps rondoensis'', '' Scolecoseps litapoensis'', '' Typhlops rondoensis'', and '' Chirindia rondoensis'', and two endemic butterfly species. The forests of the Lindi region are also home to populations of lemon dove (''Columba larvata''), green-headed oriole (''Oriolus chlorocephalus''), and black-fronted bushshrike (''Chlorophoneus nigrifrons''), species generally found in montane forests further inland.Jensen, Flemming P., Anders P. Tøttrup, and Kim D. Christensen (2005). "The avifauna of coastal forests in southeast Tanzania". ''Scopus'' 25: 122, December 2005. The Namuli apalis (''Apalis lynesi'') is a bird endemic to Mount Namuli. The

skink Skinks are a type of lizard belonging to the family (biology), family Scincidae, a family in the Taxonomic rank, infraorder Scincomorpha. With more than 1,500 described species across 100 different taxonomic genera, the family Scincidae is one o ...

s '' Scelotes duttoni, Scelotes insularis'', and '' Lygosoma lanceolatum'' are endemic to the Bazaruto Archipelago.

Protected areas

14.24% of the ecoregion is in protected areas. Protected areas within the ecoregion include: * Rondo Forest Reserve, Tanzania * Matibane Forest Reserve, Mozambique * Inhamitanga Forest Reserve, Mozambique * Nhapacué Forest Reserve, Mozambique *

Bazaruto National Park The Bazaruto Archipelago National Park (BANP) is a protected area in the Inhambane Province of Mozambique on the Bazaruto Archipelago. The park was proclaimed on 25 May 1971. It is off the coast of the Vilanculos and Inhassoro districts, cove ...

, Mozambique * Baixo Pinda Forest Reserve, Mozambique * Caça do Gilé Wildlife Reserve (part), Mozambique *

Gorongosa National Park Gorongosa National Park is at the southern end of the Great African Rift Valley in the heart of central Mozambique, Southeast Africa. The more than park comprises the valley floor and parts of surrounding plateaus. Rivers originating on nearby ...

(part), Mozambique *

Moribane Forest Reserve The Moribane Forest Reserve ( Portuguese: Reserva Florestal de Moribane) which was proclaimed in 1957, is a natural forest in the buffer zone of the 640 km2 Chimanimani National Reserve, and is situated 24 km north of Dombé, in Suss ...

, Mozambique * Pomene National Reserve, Mozambique * Quirimbas National Park, Mozambique

References

External links

Eastern Africa Coastal Forests (WWF)

Southern Zanzibar-Inhambane coastal forest mosaic (WWF)

Southern Zanzibar-Inhambane coastal forest mosaic (Encyclopedia of Earth)

Southern Zanzibar-Inhambane coastal forest mosaic (DOPA Explorer)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Southern Zanzibar-Inhambane coastal forest mosaic Afrotropical ecoregions Ecoregions of Mozambique Ecoregions of Tanzania Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests